The brassy wail of trumpets and trombones, the reedy intonation of saxophones and the steady thump of a drum beat could be heard through the hallway walls at Tiverton High School late Thursday afternoon, as members of the school’s jazz ensemble did a run-through of charts they’d been honing for the last few months.

Members took turns taking improvised solos over the rhythm section.

It’s been a busy spring for the music department overall. It culminated last week, with some 80 members of the stage ensembles and the chorus performing for the first time in their recently renovated auditorium at Tiverton High school.

The Tigers marching band will also perform in the Fall River Memorial Day Parade.

Last month the concert band, marching band and jazz ensemble embarked on a six-day cruise trip aboard the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s “Explorer of the Seas” ship to Bermuda, each earning superior ratings in the high school music festivals there.

The month before, the Jazz Ensemble placed third among 17 bands in the Berklee College of Music’s annual High School Jazz Festival.

The Bermuda competition actually began prior to the cruise on April 13, at Port Liberty in Bayonne,

N.J., with the marching band division. The competition featured four different school districts and nine high school-level ensembles overall.

They performed before panels of nationally acclaimed adjudicators and clinicians.

The marching band earned 76.6 out of a possible 80 points, enough for a Superior rating, despite some low New Jersey temperatures and windy condition.

The High School Jazz Ensemble Division occurred during the first performance day onboard the ship. Earning 95.5 out of a total possible 100 points, the THS Jazz Ensemble also captured a superior rating.

It wasn’t all work and no play — band members enjoyed some rest and relaxation at port in Hamilton, Bermuda. They took part in offshore excursions, had some pool time, and enjoyed onboard performances hosted by the ship’s entertainment staff.

But on day five it was back to business with the concert and symphonic band division of the festival.

They received perfect scores in balance, literature and technique, and received a verbal critique from composer Jerry Nowak.

In addition to superior ratings each ensemble attained, several members received outstanding soloist honors, including junior piccolo player Chelsea Bouchard, soprano, alto and tenor saxophonist Sarah Leonard.

Junior trumpet player Cooper Pallasch, a member of all three ensembles, earned nods for his performances in each ensemble category.

Educators tend to focus on math and science nationally, but Alves feels arts education is also important.

Some students “find their passion through music. That’s where the value comes in public schools,” he said.

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For some, music may even become a career option.

The end result of months of rehearsal is what audiences see and hear, but for the musicians it’s not just about the notes.

Performing in an ensemble means taking on “a sense of responsibility,” said Alves.

Each member has a role. “They learn what it’s like to be a team player,” he said.

There are some life skills imparted — showing up to rehearsals and being accountable for learning parts.

“I have contracts,” Alves said. “The bottom line is you have to do your job ... every kid is tested. There’s no hiding. It’s not allowed here.”

It’s also an investment in time. Some pieces are challenging at first, so students dislike them.

“But then they learn it, and it then becomes one of their favorites,” Alves said.

The creative medium here may be music, but “we talk about visualizing the situation,” Alves said.

One of the pieces the concert band performed this spring was “The Ascension” by Robert W. Smith, the third movement in his musical rendering of Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy.”

The Tiverton music department attracts a wide demographic of students — from athletes to academic and artistically inclined students. “But they all have the same goal — they want the final product to be at a high level,” said Alves.

“My objective for them leaving here is to have the ability to choose (music) if they go to college,” said Alves.

Regardless of their career paths, the students who go through the school’s music programs “end up being pretty good musicians.”

Members of the program seem to agree. “It’s just fun, a lot of good energy,” said freshman trombone player Matt Perez, a member of the jazz ensemble.

Perez said he is undaunted by the prospect of taking over as trombone section leader the next school year. “I just love playing my instrument.”

Guitarist Owen Flanagan agreed.

The sophomore has played the electric guitar for five years. “I love performing,” he said, as he packed away his Fender Stratocaster following Thursday’s rehearsal.